Stitch-separating machine.



G. BASLER.

STITCH SEPARATENG MACHINE.

APPLICA TION FiLED AUG-14.1913.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I LQAWQE CG.PNOm-HYHO..WASHINGFON.11C

G. BASLER.

STITCH SEPARATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-14,1913.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- %TATlE% PATENT @FFTfiE GEORGE BASLER, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 BASLER MACHINERY COMPANY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A COBPCRATION 0F MAINE.

STITCH-$EPARATING MACHINE.

mes es.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application filed August 14, 1913. Serial No. 784,722.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnoucn BASLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Stitch-Separating Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to machines for operating upon boots and shoes, and more particularly to a machine to separate and indent the stitches around the welt or sole edge of a shoe.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes, after the stitching has been put in around the forepart of the sole edge, which stitching usually holds the welt and sole together, or may be an imitation of such welt stitching, it is customary to subject the sole edge to the operation of a stitch separating or indenting machine. These machines have heretofore been either simple fluted or corrugated rollers, adapted to roll around the edge of the sole, or have been complex and intricate machines. The ordinary roll is very unsatisfactory in its work, and the more complex machines heretofore in use have also been unsatisfactory, because of their liability to get out of order, break parts, and the like, as well as because of the expense involved in their construction and maintenance.

It is an object of my present invention to provide a stitch separating machine which shall be efiicient in operation, so as to take the place of the complex machines heretofore used, and yet which will be simple in construction, easy to operate, not'liable to get out of order, and yet will be readily adjustable and positive in its action.

To this end I have devised a simple machine, where the indenting tool is also the feeding means and which machine will have suflicient adjustability and power to forcibly indent the sole or welt surface, and in crease the effect of such indentations by a positive feeding movement. By providing means which will reciprocate the indenting tool in a substantially vertical direction to effect the forcible indentation thereof in the sole edge operated upon, and then to impart the feeding movement-to the tool while so forc ly held; i enabled to secur a very satisfactory indenting of" the sole edge by a beveled indenting tool and by means of a very simple construction. I also provide suitable adjustments to enable the machine to operate upon sole edges of different thicknesses and stitches of different lengths, and prefer to accomplish this result by having means to adjust the work table for the thickness of the sole, and means to adjust the throw of the feeding cam for difl'erent lengths of stitches.

Other features of the invention, details of construction, and novel combinations of parts, will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a machine embodying the invention in a preferred form; Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the adjustable feeding cam; Fig. 3 is a side View of the machine, showing the indenting cam and with a shoe in position to be operated upon; and Fig. 4: is a fragmentary view of the sole edge which has been indented.

My-present indenting machine may be made either as a simple bench machine, or to be mounted upon a standard, being herein shown as comprising a head 1 mounted on a suitable standard 2, although the head 1 may be secured to a bench if desired. Formed integrally with the head is an upstanding arm 3 on one side and a correspondingly upstanding arm 4 on the other, having bearings 5 and 6 respectively, for the main shaft 7. A brace 8 connects the upper portions of the arms 3 and 1, and has a journal bearing 9 therein for the pivot 10 of a lever 11 which is a part of the feeding mechanism. Suitably keyed to the shaft 7 is a pulley 12 at one end, a cam wheel 13 between the journal bearings 5 and 6 and in suitable position over the pivot 10 and lever 11, as will be hereinafter explained, and a cam wheel l t at the other end of the shaft 7. The lever 11 has one end carrying a roll 15 projecting into the cam path 16 in the wheel 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. At the other end of the lever 11 is pivoted an arm 17, having its forward portion extending substantially at right angles to the line of movement, as indicated at 18, and ending in a socket 19 carrying an indenting tool 20. The socket 19 is also provided with a set screw 21, which is threaded therethrough and bears upon the shank of the indenting tool 20 to hold the same in desired position. The arm 17 and tool 20 are given a reciprocating movement by the oscillation of the lever 11 caused by the rotation of the cam wheel 13, and the action of the roll 15 in the cam path 16. In order to adjust the extent of movement of the arm 17, I provide that part of the cam wheel 13 in which the throw of the cam is imparted to the lever 11, as an adjustable section 22 upon the rest of the wheel, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. This section 22 is secured to the main portion 13 of the cam wheel by a set screw 23, having its shank passing loosely through a slot 24 in the section 22 and with its stem threaded .intoia correspondingly tapped socket in the inner or hub portion of the wheel 13. This the straight part of the cam path 16, which is in the restof the wheel 13, and is always in the same position. The section 22 may have the side walls of the cam path 16 beveled or slightly flaring where they join the straight part of the cam path in the fixed portion 14, inorder to. facilitate the operation of the cam with the section 22 at the re spective limits of its adjustment.

The cam wheel 14 has a face cam 25 formed therein (see Fig. 3) and is adapted to reciprocate' a lever 26 pivoted at 27 to a bracket 28 extending from one side of the arm 4.'

The lever 26has' at its upper portion a stud 29 on whicha roll 30 is mounted and which roll projects into the cam path 25. The lower portion of the lever 26 is forked and carries two rolls 31 and 32, pivoted loosely therein and at an appropriate distance to receive the arm 17. It will be seen that the, rotation of the cam wheel 14 acts to oscillate the lever 26 on the pivot 27,

giving said lever a substantially vertical reciprocation and carrying the outer endof the arm 17 upwardly and downwardly, while permitting said arm to be reciprocated'in its feeding action by the lever 11,

and cam wheel 13, as already described. I so time the operation of the cam wheels 13 and 14 on the arm 17 and lever 26 that as the indenting tool 20 is drawn backwardly.

i. e. to the right in Fig. 1, to the limit of the backward movement of the arm 17 the lever 26 is moved downwardly to engage the work and is held downwardly durlng the forward feeding movement of the tool 20, i. e. to the left in Fig. 1, and at the limit of the feeding movement the lever 26 is raised and held upwardly during the rapid retracting movement of the arm 17. In order to secure a quick downward action of the lever 26, I have provided the cam path 25 with a roll 33 giving a substantially 90 movement to the roll 30 in the throw of the cam wheel 14. This substantially vertical action also serves to firmly indent the tool 20 into the leather of the sole or welt edge, and prevents scratching, scarring or otherwise injuring the surface of the sole or welt and affords a firm grip of the tool 20 upon the work for the subsequent feeding action imparted to the tool by the arm 17, while the tool. is still holding its indeuting position and thus working into the leather, so that the sole edge will stay indented.

In order to facilitate the assembling of the machine, as well as to provide a guide for the arm 17, in addition to the lower forked end of the lever 26, I arrange a plate 34 secured to the upstanding part 4 by screws 35 and 36. It will be seen that the lever 26 has a slight lateral oscillation due to the pivot 27 being at one side, and I have therefore provided the forked lower end of this lever with suflicient space or play to permit such lateral oscillation during the vertical movement of the lever 26 caused by the action of the cam wheel 14, without effecting any lateral movement of the arm 17, which latter is held firmly in its relative position by means of the guide block 34 and member 4, as just explained. Secured to the lower portion of the member 4 is a rib 37 to constitute the slide for the bracket 38, which bracket is held thereon by a screw 39 passing through the elongated slot 40 and threaded into a correspondingly tapped hole 41 in the rib 37. On this slide 38 is a boss 42, in which is a journal bearing for the shaft of an idler or work support 43.

The construction permits the shaft 44 of the Work support 43 to be arranged at an angle, as shown. The work supporting face of the member 43 is arranged to be parallel with the beveled point of the indenting tool 20 (see Fig. 3) so that the sole edge of a shoe 45 may be positioned therebetween. I prefer to have the slide 38 normally pressed upwardly, as by a spring 46, which may conveniently bear between a bracket 47 secured to the standard 2 and the lower portion of the slide, and may surround a rod 48 secured to the slide 38 at 49, and having its lower portion threaded to receive an adjusting wheel 50 hearing beneath the bracket 47. This provides an adjustable means for limiting the normal height of movement of the slide 38 by the spring 46,

to allow for soles of different thicknesses to receive any desired indenting pressure between the tool 20 and work support 43. In the operation of the machine, as the operator watches the effect of the indenting tool 20, he can thus instantly adjust the pressure applied by manipulation of the wheel 50, during the continuous operation of the machine. Furthermore, this arrangement enables him to increase or decrease the indenting pressure at any point desired around the sole edge, allowing greater indentations at the toe point, for example, than at the sides of the sole edge. As shown in Fig. 4, the indentations caused by the tool 20 are applied to the upper part of the sole edge 45 or the welt constituting a part of said sole edge in a welt shoe, said indentations being indicated at 51 between the stitches 52, a fragment of the shoe upper being indicated at 53. The stitches 52, known as outsole stitches, are usually made from heavy thread and set with considerable tension, and the separating or indenting tool is arranged to indent the sole between the exposed part of the stitching thread, the length of the feeding movement of my machine, caused by the cam wheel 13, determining the length of the indenting action and but a slight variation in such feeding motion is all that is ever required in ordinary shoe factory usage. in order to facilitate the positioning of a shoe sole under the indenting tool 20 and the work supporting wheel 13, I aflix to the slide 38 a rod 54:, which is secured to a suitable foot treadle (not shown), so that the operator may depress the slide and position the shoe with its sole edge between the indenting tool and the work support.

The operation of my indenting machine is simple and effective. The operator standing in front of the machine holds the shoe to be operated upon in both hands, depresses the slide 38 through the foot treadle and rod 5 1, positioning the sole edge 45 under the indenting tool 20 at the beginning of the exposed stitches at one side of the forepart of the sole, then permitting the spring 46 to force the slide 38 and work support 43 upwardly, thus firmly gripping the sole edge. if desired, the tension to be exerted by the machine is increased or lessened by manipulation of the hand wheel 50. The machine is then started in any suitable manner, as by changing the belt which would be led around the pulleys 12 from a loose to a fast pulley and the consequent rotation of the shaft 7 and actuation of the cam wheels 13 and 14, serve to automatically indent and feed the sole through the action of the indenting tool 20, said tool receiving its ver tical action from the lever 26 and its feeding action from the arm 17, as has been already explained... The work support 43 being in the form of an idler, automatically .follows the feeding action imparted to the sole by the tool 20 andthe operator holding the sole in his hands retains it in the position to which it has been fed during the retractive movement of the tool 20. It will be understood that the indenting action, while rapid, is yet at all times under the control of the operator and although 01'- dinarily he will merely hold the shoe upon the idler 48, he may adjust or slide it, to have the indenting tool follow the line of stitching, if such action is desirable. It will be appreciated that the machine of my invention is of extremely simple construction, convenient to operate with a minimum number of moving parts, and yet which. affords quick and ready adjustment for the indenting pressure, thickness of sole edges operated upon, and length of feeding action. Also that the machine is effective to provide any suitable indenting pressure desired and furthermore any suitable indenting tool 20 may be quickly fitted for work. The vertical action of the tool 20 need be but a slight lifting and descending movement, just enough to clear the indentations made in the sole edge, and therefore may be entirely under the overhanging portion of the upper 53, so as not to scar the upper, or the bevel of the work support l3 may be varied so that the vertical movement of the tool 20 will not strike or scar the shoe upper.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a stitch separating machine, a combined indenting and feeding tool, means to impart feeding action to said tool and to raise and lower it upon the work, comprising a movable carrier and mechanism to move said carrier to effect the feeding movement of the tool, and a vertically movable lever having a recess therein in which said carrier rests to raise and lower said carrier and tool from and toward the work.

In a stitch separating machine, a combined indenting and feeding tool, means to impart feeding action to said tool and to raise and lower it upon the work, comprising a movable carrier and mechanism to move said carrier to effect the feeding movement of the tool, a vertically movable lever having a slot therein through which the carrier passes loosely, and means connecting said lever with the carrier in said slot to raise and lower said tool from and toward the work, said connection between the carrier and lever permitting a variation in feeding movement to the tool by said carrier.

3. In a stitch separating machine, a combined indenting and feeding tool, means to impart feeding action to said tool, comprising a horizontally movable carrier, a pivoted lever to actuatesaid carrier, and a cam to oscillate said lever, in combination with In testimony whereof, I have signed my means to impart indenting action to said name to this specification, in the presence 10 tool, comprising a pivoted arm through of two subscribing witnesses.

Which said carrier projects, a cam to actuate said arm, and means permitting said arm to GEORGE BASLER. impart vertical movement to the tool carrier, irrespective of the lateral swing of said arm.

Witnesses JAMES R. Honnnn, R. G. HERSEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents, Washington, D. C. 

